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Sotheby's realises $2.9mn against a pre-sale estimate of $2.3 million at African art auction

Yesterday

at

Sotheby

’

s

in

London, the third dedicated sale

of

Modern and Contemporary African Art

realised £2,274,625 against a pre-sale estimate of £1.8 millio

n. The sale

of

99 lots featured artists from 18

African countries

as

diverse

as

Algeria, Morocco, Ghana, and Uganda.

Ten new auction records were set,

as

well

as

three benchmarks for artists making their first appearance

at

auction.

The star

of

the sale was

El

Anatsui

’

s

Tagomizor

, a hanging sculptural work created with aluminium bottle

caps and copper wire. The work was hammered down

at

£670,000.

The Warrior

, a painting

by

Senegalese artist Papa Ibra Tall that was once owned

by

Duke Ellington proved

magnetic, with a final sale

at

£118,750 much higher than its £8,000 estimate.

Two works by Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou, on of

fer from the Guy & Myriam Ullens

Foundation, broke Tayou

’

s previous auction record twice over, selling for £75,000 and £68,

750 respectively.

The auction saw the first appearance

of

works by Congolese artist,

Fr

éderic Trigo Piula, Nigerian Ruby

Onyinyechi Amanze, and Mozambican Bertina Lopes.

Hannah O

’

Leary, Head

of

Modern and Contemporary African Art

at

Sotheby

’

s,

commented:

“

We

saw

international interest for good quality works from acros

s the continent. There was

an

immense amount

of

pre-sale enthusiasm for Papa Ibra Tall

’

s

The Warrior

, and this was reflected

in

the saleroom with

an

intense

bidding battle on

an

extraordinary price. Overall,

it

was satisfying

to

see such a broad range of artists

achieving top prices.

Sotheby’s in London recently presented the third dedicated sale of Modern and Contemporary African Art, realising $2,986,935 million against a pre-sale estimate of $2.3 million.

The sale of 99 lots featured artists from 18 African countries as diverse as Algeria, Morocco, Ghana, and Uganda. Ten new auction records were set, as well as three benchmarks for artists making their first appearance at auction.

The star of the sale was El Anatsui’s Tagomizor, a hanging sculptural work created with aluminium bottlecaps and copper wire. The work was hammered down at £670,000. The Warrior, a painting by Senegalese artist Papa Ibra Tall that was once owned by Duke Ellington proved magnetic, with a final sale at £118,750 much higher than its £8,000 estimate.

Two works by Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou, on offer from the Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation, broke Tayou’s previous auction record twice over, selling for £75,000 and £68,750 respectively. The auction saw the first appearance of works by Congolese artist, Fréderic Trigo Piula, Nigerian Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze, and Mozambican Bertina Lopes.

Hannah O’Leary, Head of Modern and Contemporary African Art at Sotheby’s, commented: “We saw international interest for good quality works from across the continent. There was an immense amount ofpre-sale enthusiasm for Papa Ibra Tall’s The Warrior, and this was reflected in the saleroom with an intense bidding battle on an extraordinary price. Overall, it was satisfying to see such a broad range of artists achieving top prices.